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We arrived at the Grande Tikal Hotel around 2, rested for about 15 minutes & then took off to shop for things only available here and/or at bulk prices. Imagine after driving over 6 hours of difficult roads...Energizer Bunny Annie was ready to shop!  Back at the hotel before dark for pizza...our last supper  together.  Sister Liz's & Annie's eyes sparkled as they talked about how much they've relished traveling the world (they've been to Africa, England, Italy, Egypt, Mexico & probably more) and especially being able to help the poor people with the basic of needs...their health.  They have been together for over 40 years and built 5 missions that are all still flourishing & healed untold numbers of the most needy.  I have had but a taste of their rich lives...just enough to feel their joy and understand the satisfying glow it brings.  Just before they left at 7 a.m., Sister Annie took our picture with Sister Liz who grinned and said, "This has been the best two weeks in the last 5 years."  Not sure who was saying Thank you more...us or them.

My Final Thoughts

Grateful for another amazing & enriching adventure.  Sorry I lost my camera but lucky that was the only problem.  Confused by how much I have and how little so many have.  Blessed to have spent quality time with Paula, Sister Ada, Sister Annie & Sister Liz...and Rog.  Glad to have enjoyed 2 months in warm vs. freezing weather.  And ever so anxious to get my arms around my grandkids and kids again!

Roger's Final Thoughts

It was good that we visited Belize before coming to Guatemala because we anticipated worse conditions and more danger than we found in Guatemala.  Several people in Belize were concerned for our safety as we left there but fortunately, we had no problems.  It was good to be able to speak English to everyone in Belize & Tobacco Caye was a tropical treat.  Hopkins (drumming center) was very friendly and we enjoyed daily bike rides to the bakery & internet cafe.  A pleasant stop in a country with great potential for future tourism as it is close, tropical and English speaking.  At San Jose Clinica, finally a mission project that challenged me to use my skills with tools!  Sisters Annie & Liz had a list of jobs that they needed us to accomplish and they had quality tools & the necessary parts to complete the work.  Working just 5 to 6 hours each day, we completed the work and added many more...like soaping the drawer bottoms to make them slide easily.  The Sisters appreciation for our work felt good and we marveled at their endurance and commitment to the indigenous people.  Guatemala was a pleasant country to visit with mild temps during the day (even at the Clinica which is 9000 ft above sea level), interesting land forms (volcanoes, lakes, hot waterfalls, jungles, and high plains), cool nights at the Clinica made us grateful for warm electric blankets and....helpful, pleasant people!

Home

We had a uneventful flight home, Ben was there to pick us up in his warm car & we spent the night in his warm house....thankful we had just missed 2 month of the worst winter in Michigan since 1950!

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The last couple days at Clinica Jose were filled with touch up jobs, putting away tools & cleaning up the messes we'd made.  We seemed to linger longer at the kitchen table savoring our time together...and munching on the 10 doz cookies I'd made...most put in the freezer as a sweet reminder of us.  By 7 a.m Fri morning, we were on the road heading toward Guatemala City.  As usual, the Sisters...who have been in this country over 20 years now...explained much about what we saw out the jeep window: 

-mostly new cars because several years ago, Guat gov't passed a law not allowing used cars older than 5 years to be imported (those all went to Belize probably)

-wood is still the main cooking fuel and no fuel is used for heating in most the country

-soil on mtn side needs lots of fertilizer provided by the gov't for low cost

-gov't clinics provide minimum care...but are run by many money hogs that overcharge and mostly prescribe vitamens

-many evangelical churches are springing up led by more money hogs

-but the worst money hogs are the gov't officials who care little about the indigenous people (80% of population) so very little $$ trickles down to most of the people & their villages

-most babies are potty trained before 1 year old.  Bare bottomed baby is propped between mom's legs & she sways back & forth (while she works) until baby goes.

-if you see a nice new house, most likely someone has been or is in the USA working

-education outside the large cities is very poor--teachers can call off school for any reason they can think of including protesting about low pay or recent law requiring them to get 2 years of college to be a teacher.

-young people are getting tired of putting all their income into the family food pot...instead are buying cell phones instead

-no jobs is the biggest problem outside the big cities and crime is the biggest inside the big cities

-change is slow as the 80% indigenous stick firmly to their old traditions...vs. USA whose rich diversity spawns new ideas

-very few couples actually get married officially so no paper work...girl just moves in with boy's family...makes it real easy for boy to be unfaithful and/or desert girl & children

-field work is mostly done by hand (only saw 2 tractors & it's planting season

-most small stores don't have change for 20Q ($15 USA)...which we experienced many times

-NGO & foreign aid pour into Guat but of often used for projects that are poorly planned and don't take into consideration the culture.  Ex:  500 2 hole outhouses were built up on a platform with lower doors where waste could be removed once dried & used as fertilizer.  Problems:  waste doesn't dry as too much ground water and rain,  people don't believe in handling human waste (just like in China), elders can't climb steps up, often built too far from house to use during their often very cold nights and finally, since maintenance is not routine to most, once bottom board rots...it is useless...except for storage unit which many are used for.

-biggest & usually only birthday party is their 1st...celebrating the fact they they are still alive 

-malnutrition, burns, machete cuts & diabetics account for most of Sister Liz's patients while Sister Annie does all OB work

-banana/palm leaves & paper have been replaced by styrofoam & plastic so tossing them out windows isn't seen as a problem yet...except by a few like the Sisters:  Since I was trying to take pictures of the gorgeous view of the volcanoes & valleys ( with Sister Annies's camera)..Annie was looking for a place to pull over and said she didn't want to stop by a garbage dump to which Sister Liz frankly responded, "Can't stop along the road anywhere then." 

Can you see why we love being with these two????

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The Sister want Hermocillo (their hired hand) how to use their tools and fix things so he usually works with Rog who tries to teach him and give him some practice.  He catches on quickly.  He is 19, married with 1 child & another on the way & since his Dad has not been around for a long time, he also supports his Mom & several young siblings.  At the end of the day...he goes home to work on the addition he is building on to his house...which will still have a dirt floor & no heat source (and there is often frost in the a.m.)....while we get to crawl into comfy beds with our heated blankets.  Whoever said life was fair...didn't look around much!

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Our Job List started out with about ten things but when the Sister saw how capable & hard working Rog is...the list more than doubled.  Tomorrow is Wednesday and we have everything done & then some.  Both Sisters are trying hard to think of more.  Our jobs have included:
installing baseboards in 3 rooms;  painting shutters, fence, front gate, two showers & trim on the clinic; mounting hooks, towel racks, toilet paper dispensers, shower curtains, mirrors, lots of wall decorations, a shelf, & rain glutters; builing a fence with wheels to keep their dogs out of their flowers; caulking two toilets; stabilizing the washing machine; assembling 2 bunk beds, 2 twin beds & 3 bedside cabinets; taking pictures of the Sister with patients for a grant report; repairing two toilets, sanding & varnishing 2 doors; cooking the main meal Tues - Fri when the clinic is open; putting 4 meals in the freezer; frying 2 lbs of bacon for freezer; browning hamb with onions for freezer; and baking about 10 doz cookies...about 6 made it to the freezer.  So we have been kept busy and the SIster have lavished praise & gratitude on us.   

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We took a tuk tuk to a small village nearby, San Juan...a very quiet and interesting place.  We shopped for a few last gifts and Rog gave some merchants juggling lessons....since they sold crocheted balls...he told them it would increase their business.  There is a Women's Weaving Co-op there and we watched a demonstration of how they dye the yarn and weave it.  The next day we took the ferry to Santiago on the lake...always a treat to be on a lake.    It was crammed with stands of handicrafts and  art galleries filled with truly gorgeous paintings.   So many times I reached for my camera and then had to just soak it in.  I am adjusting.  

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Dios is the Spanish word for God so it hit me today that Adios must refer to God.  Duh!  All the times I said that and I never thought about what I am saying.  This whole country is plastered with signs referring to Jesus, God & bible verses...but is intermixed with Maya religion as well. Maximon who is smoking a cigar, is considered Jesus' side kick and honored.  The church here in San Pedro is the most beautiful one in town and by far has the best view of the entire lake.  It seems in every town, the church shines even if the town doesn't.

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San Pedro sits on Lake Atitlan, a volcanic crater that is about 20 km E to W and about 900' deep and with steep mountains all around it.  Spectacular natural beauty.  San Pedro is a quirky little town with lots of young and old Caucasian hippies staying in make shift hostels or hotels many taking or teaching Spanish classes, making jewelry, or working in one of the many bars or restaurants for $1.20 per hour to pay their bills.  We are in a nicer hotel with a third floor balcony & a view of the lake...once you look over the rusty corrugated roofs.  The ride here was through many large and small villages where mountain sides were being cropped.  We were surprised to see how many people live in these mountains.  It was an exhausting ride as their were lots of hair´pinned turns and crowded buses...where the seats had been made longer to accomodate more people but left a very small aisle....and mostly, I was exhausted from kicking myself!  We rested a bit and then checked out the town.  Channon had hoped to join us here to celebrate her birthday but she couldn't make it...so we ate a Thai dinner in her honor.  The restaurant offered a hot fudge sundae but we were too full....but we will do it tomorrow...only because it is Chan's birthday!

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A sad day...I ran out of M & M's...and worst, I lost our camera...somewhere on the last of the 4 chicken buses that it took to get us to San Pedro.  I kick myself for not keeping it in my zipped bag...while Rog patiently tried to console me...it was only pictures...probably a hundred just like them on the internet.  True.  And I won't spend a tedious week putting together a book & no one will have to be bored looking at our pictures.  I still have my journals writings.  True.  But it is a bummmmmmer!

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After working on projects for about 5 hours, we devoured a BBQ rib dinner with mashed potatoes & corn prepared by Sister Liz & then Sister Annie took us on a tour of the area...and lent me her camera so I was snapping photos as fast as a clock ticks.  We drove down main street & a few side streets.  Many locals recognized the Sisters' jeep & they smiled & waved & let me take their picture.  We went to the home of a family that the Sisters are helping.  The alcoholic father threw out his wife & their 7 kids.  They had been living in the woods for almost 2 year.  The Sisters helped by hiring 3 of the kids and giving them a no interest loan so they could build a simple home.  Before we left the USA, we had asked if there were any needs here.  The Sisters asked for $ for school tuition for these kids as they had not been able to attend school for 2 years.  The DUMC Women's Group & WOW generously donated the full amount.  As you might imagine, we were warmly welcomed into their home & thanked over and over.  I loved having a chance to play games with the 3 little ones.  We toured their neat, dirt floor, adobe, tin roofed home with no electricity and one window.  They proudly showed us their garden & outside pila with running water for washing clothes where the drain water was used by their pig.  Before we left, Sister Annie told them about Claire's upcoming operation and they promised to pray for her.  Then we held hands and said the Our Father together...3 languages...Mam, Spanish & English...all in perfect harmony.

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Our long drive to and from town gave us a chance to learn more about many things...including the current nun situation in USA:  very few are joining and many have left the convent...in other words, nuns are almost "nun-" existence.  The average age of the Presentation sisters is 80.  Many of the current nuns are working in the private sector to support their fellow sisters.  Nuns have played a major role in the USA starting many hospitals, schools & social programs for the needy.  In the past many young girls entered the convent because it was the only way for poor girls to get the education to become a nurse, teacher or social worker...and/or it provided a warm place to live & meals...and/or they felt the calling from God.  In our travels we have met communities of nuns we have met in India (Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity) and here in Guatemala (Marte y Maria).  We see them doing just what the USA nuns did earlier in our history:  seeing a need and reaching out to help...being God's hands.

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Since we had finished all the jobs we could do, we took off for Quetzaltenango...3 hours drive one way...to get more supplies.  Sister Liz stayed home as the drive is over horrid, steep & curvy roads which is tough on her.  We had terrific views of Volcano Tujumulco...the tallest mountain in Central America...and all the villages nestled in the valleys & on the mountain sides.  We also saw slivers of the daily lives:  girl with 3 grazing sheep on ropes; men working on leveling land with hoes; women scrubbing clothes in the pilas (washing sinks); young kids using a forehead strap to carry loads of split woods as big as they were; women walking with baby on her back, baskets on her head & holding the hand of a small toddler; man making adobe bricks; pickup with 5 or 6 in front seat & mound of corn stalks in back; man leading horses laden with logs; young man studying next to tethered cow on the side of the road; odd assortment of jugs filled with gas or diesel usually diluted with water for sale on the side of the road; many Auto Hotels where men drive their cars into a hidden garage & then pay for a room & girl in the hotel above the garage; kids rolling tires; Grandma wearing traditional clothing walking arm and arm with granddaughter dressed in tight jeans & Tshirt with American wording; piles of branches in the middle of the road which was a warning that something was in the road right around the switchback.  As we got close to town, the scenery changes quickly:  nicer & bigger homes, gas stations & stores; wider & better roads; parking lots & sidewalks; playgrounds; American chain restaurants like McD built to look like a Happy Meal complete with a McD delivery motorcycle; lots of security guards with shotguns.  We shopped at Walmart (one year old) & Ace Hardware and then got a delicious steak meal...after 5 years & many trips here, the Sisters have located the best places to shop & eat!  As we traveled, we of course passed and were passed by many overloaded chicken buses that put out huge clouds of black smoke every time they shifted gears.  We have heard that the reason they crowd so many on and drive so fast is because the drivers get a percent of the fare.  We felt very safe with our seat belts on & Sister Annie driving...and because we had a clean windshield that was washed for just a few quetzels while we waited at a red light.  We called Sister Liz from Concepcion Tutuapa around 5 pm and asked her to open the gate.  We were glad to get back to our little village of Llano Grande and Clinica San Jose!
 

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Being around Sister Liz is such a treat!  Since she is my Mom's first cousin, so many of her mannerisms remind me of my mom...even the way she laughs....and her grin.  She is 85...Mom would have been 88 today.  We were talking about when my Mom died at 86 and Sister Annie & I agreed that she had lived a good life...but Sister Liz piped up,  "Wait a minute here, I think 86 isn't THAT good!"  Another thing I catch her doing is exaggerating & she is always early.  She also doesn't mince words...when Annie politely said, "In winter here, it is a damp cold", she shook her head and said, "It is just a DAMN cold!"  All traits of my Mom.  Her choice of patron saint takes the cake, Saint Dismus...the Good Thief who was on the cross next to Jesus...he asked Jesus to remember him and Jesus promised him he would see paradise that day.  Sister Liz boasted that if Jesus or Mary doesn't answer her prayers...she pray to Dismus because he will steal it for her!!  She claims she has never gone without what she has truly needed.  Dismus is a clever thief.  She had a Italian carpenter carve a cross with Dismus on it and it sits on her table...probably the only one in existence.  I feel like I am spending a bonus two weeks with my Mom.  In honor of my Mom's birthday, we worked on finishing the chapel:  hanging the cross, putting up a shelf for the tabernacle (a cigar box beautifully painted by Annie), moving in the altar, chairs & other special pictures.  When it was done, we said a prayer for God's blessing on this simple chapel...and wished Mom a Happy Birthday.

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Before I Sleep is the book about Dr. Tom Dooley's last two years.   Ironic that it is the book I happen to pick out in San Pedro to replace one that I had just finished.  Sister Liz & Annie both felt Dr. Dooley's life spurred them to become nurses in a third world.   There are many remarkable traits shared by him and Sister Liz and Sister Annie.. his boundless energy....his unquestionable love of the poor...his expert skill in treating the suffering in remote areas...his unquenchable desire to learn everything that would advance their good health...his ability to focus on individual needs...his belief and practice of teaching the locals the skills so that they could continue in his footsteps...his charismatic personality that drew many to support his cause with their time, talents & money...his times of loneliness having given up closeness to family & friends...his joy in making children in pain, smile....his determination to do as much as possible until his last breath....and his deep love of God.  It makes my heart swell to think of all the heroes (saints) that I have had been so privileged to spend time with:  Rosemary & Yeenlan (Kenya), Missionaries of Charity Sisters (India & Thailand), Tassanee (Thailand), Juan & Renee (China), Sister Ada, Sister Annie & Sister Liz (Guatemala) and my Mom...all such dedicated and admirable people....all who's examples have awed, inspired & humbled me.  

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I asked Sister Liz if they would be sending someone to the USA to be trained as a doctor and then return to work here...without hesitation she said, "NO, they would never return.  Instead I need to find doctors who will come here and train using the equipment and medicine available here.  IF I can find a Guatemalan doctor willing to do it.  Doctors here get little training and nothing once they graduate...few other read another word...diagnostic testing is rare...instead there is lots of guessing & useless drugs are prescribed.  Unfortunately most are in it only for the money. "  Example:  Yesterday a young lady hobbled in...she had been to a Guat doctor three months ago because she had hurt her foot.  He gave her a shot (not sure what) in her calf and sent her home with vitamins.  She now has a bone infection in her broken foot and her calf is almost more painful than her foot.  

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I asked Sister Liz if they would be sending someone to the USA to be trained as a doctor and then return to work here...without hesitation she said, "NO, they would never return.  Instead I need to find doctors who will come here and train using the equipment and medicine available here.  IF I can find a Guatemalan doctor willing to do it.  Doctors here get little training and nothing once they graduate...few other read another word...diagnostic testing is rare...instead there is lots of guessing & useless drugs are prescribed.  Unfortunately most are in it only for the money. "  Example:  Yesterday a young lady hobbled in...she had been to a Guat doctor three months ago because she had hurt her foot.  He gave her a shot (not sure what) in her calf and sent her home with vitamins.  She now has a bone infection in her broken foot and her calf is almost more painful than her foot.  

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Such amusing stories are shared while we eat meals...Here's one told by Sister Annie:  She was woken in the middle of the night & asked to come quickly to help with a delivery.  Off she went with her medical backpack & flashlight.  After quite a hike, she arrived at a mud hut...she followed the sound of moans dodging handing clothes, sleeping kids & chickens.  Reaching the mom, she tried to set up a somewhat clean setting...and so asked if they chickens could be put outside.  The Dad looked surprised but did as he was told.  Soon after, Annie started feeling lots of bites all over her feet & legs & asked about it.  The Dad said it was ants...she asked how come just now...he said "No chickens...they eat them."  The chickens were herded back in!  Mom, baby, Sister & chickens were soon all happy!    
 
 

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By 10 a.m. coffee break, Sister Liz had already seen 10 patients besides checking on on our job...hanging towel racks.  I fixed turkey-ala-king for lunch & then we worked on assembling 2 sets of bunk beds..they hope to attract lots of volunteers soon!  I'd sure encourage anyone to come!!  (Shan? Julie? Karra?  Do you feel the tug???)  
 

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All decisions about what & how to build here always heavily take in consideration the future...when the Sisters hand this whole operation over to the locals &/or future Sisters.  Will they be able to maintain it...cost efficiency...availability of replacement parts...and will it be nice enough so any futures Sisters can be given "an offer they can't refuse"...they call it the Godfather offer.  Both Sisters should be wearing name tags saying:  nurse, doctor, building contractor, master carpenter, builder & handyman.  They have learned an enormous amount hands-on!  I love the model they have sitting on their kitchen table--that they truly follow:
A missionary goes where she is needed but not wanted.
She leaves when she is wanted but not needed.
 

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When we came in for breakfast at 7, the Sisters had another surprise for us...since they had not had a big Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, they had a turkey in the oven & all the fixings for a complete feast.  They had already made pumpkin pie & apple crisp.  We cleaned some veges & fruit, set the table and then I went out to help Rog....until the turkey was done.  Annie, in the meantime, had given Rog more directions and since the power was out...painting was Job #1.  Hermonso, their handyman worked along side us.  Monday (today) the clinic is not open so the Sisters did their paper work & jobs they usually do on Saturday.  Around noon, I went in to finish up dinner and what a feast we sat down to!  We had so much to the thankful for.  Just about when the paint job was done, the electricity came on so Rog started Job #2...wood baseboard in the newly built volunteer house.  Around 4:30, Sister Liz insisted that we stop working.  We cleaned up, watched the News, ate turkey sandwiches & sat around the table just enjoying each other & stories.  7:30, we headed back to our room & heated blankets.
 

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The Sisters live in a very nice home made out of stone--built by some Benediction nuns during the religious persecution years so it is very solid with small windows.  They have made it very homey.  After we unpacked the jeep, we sat around their kitchen table and looked over the job list they'd prepared for Rog & then they showed me where to find all the ingredients I would need as I had been appointed the "cook."  Sister had asked me to send her my "menu "last week & she had made sure I had everything I needed.  I went to bed thanking God for landing me here!!!

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Our volunteer quarters is really the patients' ward so have hospital beds & a nice bathroom with hot water!  They are finishing a new building that will house volunteers in the future.  The Sisters had purchased everything we could possible need...heated blankets, towels, coffee pot, hot choc mix, granola bars, fruit, chips, water...and Diet Coke!  The Sisters were bursting with excitement as we were the first family to visit here.  Sister Liz kept saying,  "I can't believe this!"
 

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San Jose Clinic...a bright, shiny star on the top of a 9000' mountain!  We were totally amazed at what the Sisters have built here in just 5 years...while servicing over 80000 patients!  The clinic is a well built cement building, tiled half way up, tile floor, bathroom, fireplace ...and has good medical & dental equipment.  It is cleverly decorated with lots of kid friendly touches & a pot of hot coffee...no wonder people (mostly Mam indigenous) walk for miles to come!  They do have minimal charge for all services...free things are not valued nor would it allow the clinic to every be self-sustainable.  Many of the funds to cover the original equipment & building came from individuals & grants (like the owner of Hilton Hotel).  The Sisters are very frugal & efficient.  They have used "free trial" run drugs...one for diabetics' lesions that worked great.  The whole thing is so very impressive...but then what would you expect from Sister Liz & Sister Annie!!!

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Sister Liz booked our hotel room in Guatemala City…the nicest…and safest which is probably why she booked it here. It is gorgeous…first hair dryer, robes, safe etc….  The gated hotel had many stores, food choices and movie theaters.  We ate some lunch & wandered about waiting for Sisters Liz & Annie.  I am sure my heart missed a beat when I spotted them.  Eight months of emails back & forth and finally together.  They were excited as we were. They were also tired (after all, one is 84 & the other 69) so they went to rest and Rog & I went to the pool.  Three wine glasses & one Diet Coke toasted our rendezvous!  7 AM we were in their jeep with Annie at the wheel headed toward their mission.  We made several stops along the way to break up the trip…breakfast, groceries, hardware, pick up a hearing aide & dinner.  We were awed by the mountain panoramic views & by all the stories the sisters shared with us.  We learned about the background of the indigenous people they work with…how they have been persecuted, how the mining companies are destroying their land, how the drug lords take over their land, earthquakes & flooding devastations and the government crackdown on the religious missionaries that left many dead.  Sister Liz told me more about the Presentation Sisters, her earlier missions and we both laughed about family stories.  At 5 pm, we arrived at San Jose Clinic in Conception Talapa.

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7:30 AM we climbed into a nice van and headed to Guatemala City.  We were stopped by several people who told us there was an accident ahead so we turned around…only to be stopped a few more times…and finally we turned around and headed out the way we originally planned. There had been an accident earlier but now it was cleared up.  There were only 9 in the van…such luxury!  Two from Maine had been on a chicken bus when a guy on top had fallen off…he jumped off & checked the man’s pulse and wanted to keep him immobilized…but the driver & another guy, picked him up & held on to him until they got to a medical center where they dropped him off with a bag of money that the people on the bus had donated to help cover the cost.  Good people.  Another couple in our van was from Belgium and I learned a lot about their schools…4 ½ days a week with lots of homework, everyone learning at least 3 languages, tracked in HS and many trained for jobs…the less motivated go just 2 days a week meeting mostly with a social worker (which he was) who tries to encourage them toward a more positive life.  The girl worked for Red Cross in the refugee program.  Belgium accepts many refugees who can have unlimited stay with bed, food, medical & a small amount of money.  Most who get to Belgium were at least middle class in their war torn homeland and most were there because of some religious conflict.  That led us to a discussion about religion.  They said most Belgium churches and others in most northern European countries were mostly empty.  Belgians feel religion is a private matter and they do not need to go to a public church.  Most do not like the Catholic church as an institution…too rich & showy…which led to a discussion of money.  50+% of their income goes to taxes, 30+% goes to mortgage is they buy a house…which many young people cannot afford today.  Most like the Euro but realize that Germany & France control their economy.  The final rider was an older American man who has come to San Pedro for 7 years…plays his harp for dinner & has a local carpenter cut wood, an artist paint it and he brings them back to the USA so he can build harps.  As always, a huge part of what we love about traveling is the people we meet.

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Images not to be forgotten: 

-Old Barbie doll redressed in traditional clothing with accessories of flat pan & several tortillas

-As we sit at an internet café, an older man with a load of split wood on his back drops it in front of the restaurant across from us

-Terrace gardens which started at the lake and went up many yards up to a nice home

-one speed boat & two seadoos is all that we saw on the huge Lake Atitlan

-man peddling bike with cooler filled with ice cream treats attached on rear and playing a catchy tune while riding down the road

 

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Antigua...the old capital...the old, old city filled with monsterous ruins from it's glory years...and tourist from many countries.  Here the streets are all cobblestones...the size of baseballs...the stores & restaurants are ancient buildings & homes re-purposed without losing the character of the original building.  Two city blocks are crammed with handicraft items:  bags, purses, wood carvings, belts, ceramic figures, cultural clothing & trinkets so numerous it just overwhelms you as you walk by shop after shop as the merchants hound you..."Lady like a pretty scarf?  I have beautiful blouse.  Many color.  You want to buy bag?  I give you good price today.  Only for you. etc. etc."  If you dare let your eyes fall on an item, the sales pitch gets louder & faster...and if you pick up an item to examine it...good luck trying to get away!  Honestly, I would have like to buy more than I did but the suitcase space & weight is a good deterrent.  We followed a walking tour and located all the sites and learned much about the history of this city.  I especially enjoyed visiting an ancient convent that took up a whole city block.  It had a circular room where about 30 small cells had served a bedrooms.  I was surprised to see how many of the other rooms were now used as offices with hardly any change to the original decaying walls.  Of course, churches outnumbered the gov't buildings and one of each had been restored.  Another convent has also been restored including the archway above the street that provided a path for the nuns so they couldn't be seen crossing the street.  That convent is now a hotel.  Domes sit majestically on top of most every building and the wall that surrounds Antigua is covered with flowering vines.  And the backdrop to this beauty are three towering volcanoes...one that almost destroyed the city and one still quite active which Rog saw proof of.  Another active one, Pacaya is about an hour away.  We arranged a tour and around 4 pm we began the ascent...it was hot, steep & unstable.  After about 2 km, I gave into the guy who was walking behind me & leading a horse who every time I sat down to rest, would ask "Taxi?".  It was a blow to my pride...but I did enjoy the views much more...and the views were magnificent.  The winds picked up as we reached the bottom of the clouds...which luckily cleared for us so we could see the mountain top spouting steam!!  We also found a hot spot and roasted marshmallows in a crack in the lava that we were standing on.  Another lady had strawberries which she shared with us so we feasted & enjoyed the sights around us until almost sunset.  Then we hiked down...no horse ride...stopping only to take in the ever changing hues of the sunset over the mountains & valleys that surrounded us.  Covered with lava dust, we arrived back to our hotel ready for a shower and bed.

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We left our hotel a bit after 9 and were on a bus to Antigua by 9:30.  It was the usual "old school bus" and the road was really curvy and we got slammed around on every curve like on a tilt a whirl...but we felt very safe as the front of the bus displayed a prayer, a Blessed Mother with a bouquet of fake flowers & a Tweety Bird!  A family of 7 sat in one seat right behid us part of the way, two of the kids jostling between the seat & the aisle and the baby cried a lot even though they gave her an ice cream cone that dripped all over the very calm mom.  There was also a lady holding a live chicken tenderly wrapped in her sweater...truly this was a chicken bus (which is actually what these buses are called here.)  Many trees and bushes were in bloom with flowers of vibrant to pastel shades of red, pink, fucia, purple, yellow & white.  As we got closer to "Whata" (Guate...short for Guatemala City), we came by mountain sides covered with cement homes with only a couple painted.  Then we saw some gated communities much richer.  Our favorite scene for the ride was a big stake truck with a load of calves that had 7 hammocks strung above the calves, with 7 guys swinging back & forth, and a couple more cowboys with their saddles sat on top just behind the cab. Since the bus stopped often but could go faster than the truck, we passed them several times...each time we'd get another laugh!  We got to the bus station around noon...it was very modern, gorgeous & huge...and we found our first McDonald's, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Subway & Little Caesars that we'd seen since leaving home.  I noticed that most of the people...who were all locals...were eating at Pollo Campero...the Guate fast food chain & very much like our KFC.  I enjoyed my "regular McD meal" which cost $5 here but only $3 at home while Rog found a doblado (deep fried meatpie).  We shared some Little Caesar cinnamon sticks with a carmel dip and both left with full tummies.  We taxied through town to the next bus terminal...buses are not allowed in Guate so 3 bus stations are all on the edge of town.  In 5 minutes we were off again and arrived in Antigua by 3:30... it amazes me how well Rog gets us from point A to point B!

44

As we headed out for the bus to Antigua, we met a great Guatemalian family that had been in the States for 6 years.  The father was getting his masters degree in Agriculture.  The 10 -12 year old and I had a nice chat comparing her USA school, her Guatemalian private school & the Guatemalian public schools.  She said USA schools had more freedom & nicer facilities.  Her G private schools was tougher with about 20 in each class and teachers from around the world.  The G public schools had classes of 50 or so, no books and only taught reading, writing & math.  Kids paid about $50 to attend.  I would have enjoyed talking to her longer, but it was time to move on.

43

Our last day with the girls was delightful and emotional.  We did a review and hung two poster on which I had printed all the English we had taught.  We had prepared some relay games, but the girls put on a program for us instead.  It included singing, cultural dancing and speeches of gratitude and love.  We had shared much joy with these girls and Sister Ada and I had a huge lump in my throat and fought my tears as we said good bye and closed the door on yet another rewarding experience.  Thanks be to God.

42

Things we have seen and noticed here in Jalapa:

Qtips are about 1/3 the size & strength as ours

Colored pencils sold here are the ones impossible to sharpen

man carrying ladder...another a bicycle... while riding motorcycle

horse being shoed on the street

the sound of horses clip clopping down the street as we sat typing at an internet cafe

woman selling homemade food items in front of a nice restaurant

watch dogs behind barb wire fences on top of businesses

the sound of slapping as we pass so many woman making tortillas...about every ten feet

most children snacking while walking down the street

snack bags are tiny with usually only about 8 or 9 chips in them

security guards holding shotguns at every bank, gov´t building and other important buildings

no news on TV...lots of soccer!

children & woman riding on the handle bars of bicycles

women sorting dirty potatoes & other veges wearing fancy, clean aprons

students going home from school for lunch by tuktuk or being picked up by mom only to return 1 1/2 hour later

young girls in skin tight skirts or pants wearing 3 -4" heels buzzing about on motor scooters

though we see many wearing traditional clothing, they are not for sale anywhere...only the material

most kid´s toys..like so many other countries...are cheap plastic & dolls are all white with blonde hair

the rear end of buses cemented into the sidewalk are used for street corner barriers

daily they assemble & disassemble city blocks of small shops that are just angle iron & tarps  packing up the huge pile of                  merchandise in grain bags or crates....but we have no idea where the stuff goes at night...only to appear again the next day

and so much more that reminds us that we are not in the USA!

41

Our English lesson with the girls was a Valentine treat for all of us   The girls were thrilled to count to 100 and actually enjoyed taking a quiz with the new red pencils we gave them.  Then we played a review game and everyone ´won´ twice ...receiving a pencil sharpener & a chocolate heart.  The two nuns enjoyed it as much as the girls did and they sent us off with a frozen, chocolate covered banana.    Our 5 p.m. ride to Casa Hogar arrived on time and by 5:15 we had four groups of about 10 kids busy coloring, painting, working on a puzzles and making a Valentine hearts project.  The next hour and a half, we moved kids to each project and incorporated more kids adding projects as the numbers increased...and constantly we were returning the hugs & smiles we were receiving.  Conditions were rough...only a coarse cement floor & dim lighting...but that did not diminish the fun we were all having. 

When we got back to our hotel, we treated each other to a piece of cheese cake.  What a special Valentine Day! 

40

More about the man we met this morning as we waited for our ride:  he left Guatemala when he was about 27 to find a job in L.A., became a US citizen about 5 years later and has gone back & forth for the last 20 years...since a major operation last year he is no longer working.  He gladly shared his take on man´s life:  first 20 years is DOG'S LIFE...on the prowl looking for girls and staying out all hours of the night...followed by DONKEY LIFE...work hard to carry burden of family life....last part of life was MONKEY LIFE....play with grandchildren and  freedom from work...like a monkey swinging free & enjoying life.  

39

Yesterday, we scoured the streets most the day looking for things we might use to enrich the Valentine´s Day  for the children at Casa Hogar (the home for the abused &/or raped girls and their children).  We found crayons, colored pencils, coloring books, paints, red & pink construction paper, clay, puzzles & a frisbee.  We made samples of several projects and looked forward to having a chance to have fun with these kids who have so little.  We were told we would be picked up at 10 am....it is now 11 a.m. and we are sitting on a bench in front of our hotel with all our supplies....waiting.....it is now 11:45 and we just got a message,  translated by the man we met while waiting...and our new pick up time is now 5 p.m.  We have learned to become very flexible and patient....and also reminded that this is Guatemala time...not a bad thing.

38

Just when we begin to forget just how low the girls we are working with live, we get a `slap of reality.`  The girls had asked us to label the various things in their home so I spent an evening writing labels of the things in their home.  The next day the excited girls followed us around as we taped words all over their home:  wall, floor, classroom, chair, bedroom, bathroom, but when I looked for a place to hang `toilet paper`, they all laughed and said, ¨No toilet paper!¨ 

37

Our days are almost routine now...breakfast of pancakes with honey, fruit, coffee & rich delicious hot chocolate at the hotel...computer cafe...teaching nuns...lunch...lesson plans....teaching girls.... a little shopping on our way back to the hotel...dinner (often peanut butter & fresh bread from one of the many bakeries on the hotel terrace)...writing, reading, cards, TV (which since only one channel is in English, whatever is on is what we watch).  We have spent time at the humungous market in the center of town where tables overflow with mounds of clothing, shoes, kitchen supplies, and grain bags are filled with corn, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, carrots, oranges, pineapples and lots of unknown others and crates of bananas, eggs, chickens etc, etc, etc.  How in the world do they sell all this before it rots???   One morning the nuns were busy, so we jumped on a mini bus & headed to the Cascadas de Tatasirire...a nature park with swings that hung about 30' from a branch & swung out over a valley.  Wheeeee!  We walked the flower lined trail passing hundreds of giant lovely calilillies, pastel pink impatients plants taller than me and blooming phlox as big as a mixing bowl.  Butterflies fluttered by to add to the beauty.  The trail led us beside a 5 tiered waterfall and then into a pine forest...we saw nobody else the whole time.   What a nice change from being in Jalapa, a town of about 60,000.  

37

Our days are almost routine now...breakfast of pancakes with honey, fruit, coffee & rich delicious hot chocolate at the hotel...computer cafe...teaching nuns...lunch...lesson plans....teaching girls.... a little shopping on our way back to the hotel...dinner (often peanut butter & fresh bread from one of the many bakeries on the hotel terrace)...writing, reading, cards, TV (which since only one channel is in English, whatever is on is what we watch).  We have spent time at the humungous market in the center of town where tables overflow with mounds of clothing, shoes, kitchen supplies, and grain bags are filled with corn, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, carrots, oranges, pineapples and lots of unknown others and crates of bananas, eggs, chickens etc, etc, etc.  How in the world do they sell all this before it rots???   One morning the nuns were busy, so we jumped on a mini bus & headed to the Cascadas de Tatasirire...a nature park with swings that hung about 30' from a branch & swung out over a valley.  Wheeeee!  We walked the flower lined trail passing hundreds of giant lovely calilillies, pastel pink impatients plants taller than me and blooming phlox as big as a mixing bowl.  Butterflies fluttered by to add to the beauty.  The trail led us beside a 5 tiered waterfall and then into a pine forest...we saw nobody else the whole time.   What a nice change from being in Jalapa, a town of about 60,000.  

35

Sister Ada meet us at 9 and told us what Mother thought we should do.  We will be teaching English to the 25 girls and nuns & novices...starting today at 3.  We worked on lesson plans, walked around looking for picture books, checked out websites for learning English, wandered through a huge market and spotted a Dominoes Pizzaria...guess where we ate lunch!!  When we arrived at the girl's home....they were all sitting in their chairs with notebooks & pencils in hand wearing their school uniforms.  We spent the next hour teaching...with lots of giggles & effort and hopefully lots of learning.  Next the girls eagerly led us to their surprise...they had made us a cake...it was a real treat especially since their smiles surrounded us.  Then we all walked to a fenced in playground while the whole time the girls were asking ¨¨¿Como se dice?¨and pointing at all the objects they wanted us to name.  They asked us to play with them in a vigorous game of soccer which totally wore us out.   After many good byes and see you tomorrow...we walked back to our hotel.  

34

After our warm welcome, Mother Rutilia met with us and after explaining how and why we had come, she made a call to Rita (our nephew´´s inlaw's housekeeper) thanking her for sending us.  Then Sister Ada (who speaks excellent English), Mother & us walked a short distance to where about 25 girls from difficult backgrounds, were being cared for by the Sisters.   Again, we were greeted with songs, clapping, and jubilant chants.  Then the girls proudly showed us their home.  Simple but very neat and organized.  All of us got us a great laugh when they showed us where they would put their extra clothes...and it was empty.  Each of them hugged us as we left, chanting Thank you and Will you be our Godparents?  An old pick up truck was waiting for us and we went about 4km to another site where the Sisters were caring for many girls who had been sent to them by the police as many had been raped and had no home.  Several had babies.  Once more, we were welcomed with songs, chants, clapping and hugs.  We toured their facilities which included a dorm with 20 beds...triple bunks...classrooms where academics were taught as well as skills:  jewelry making, baking, hair dressing, sewing, and computers...all set up and supplied by USA donors.  Finally, we were taken to a hotel where Mother had arranged for us to stay.  It was the nicest place in town...for about $35 per night.  Sister Ada and two other young Sisters followed us to our room...wide eyed as they had never been inside the hotel before and after agreeing to meet ustomorrow at 9, they gave us hugs & left.  We fell on our bed, totally overwhelmed by the outpouring of love & care and were soon asleep...with prayers of thanksgiving.  We eagerly await tomorrow!

33

We set out for Jalapa which took us out into the mountains passing cactus, poor homes, seeing more litter & bars on windows and large industries...lots of truck traffic.  Jalalpa is a large city and the first tuk tuk we saw was parked in a gas station...where luckily the gas attendant spoke some English so he happily told the tuk tuk driver where we wanted to go.  He dropped us at the door of the Marta y Maria convent.  Let me explain....last summer, Aaron's (our nephew) in-laws visited us in Michigan and told us their housekeeper, Rita was from Jalapa. I phoned her and asked if she knew of a place where we might do some volunteer work and she gave me the address of Marta y Maria.  So with that little bit of information and our prayers asking God for guidance, we stood at the convent gate trusting we were in the right place.  After several confusing minutes trying to use the little Spanish we know, another Sister was called who spoke some English.  She led us into a room and said to please wait.  Shortly she returned and led us into a courtroom filled with about 100 nuns and novices who broke into jubilant welcoming songs accompanied by guitars, three marimbas, a bass violin and drums!!!  Finally they chanted with great vigor, "Bienvenidos y gracias!!"  (Welcome and thank you for coming).  My eyes filled with tears and my heart with gratitude.  We were asked if we would honor them by joining them at their simple meal...rice, beans, boiled eggs, tomato sauce & watermellon..as honored guest they set before us toast and jam for dessert and coffee.  Sister Monica from Kenya spoke English and sat with us a gave us some background infomation about the convent and their two missions in Jalapa.  After we finished, the nuns again loudly chanted how pleased they were that we had come and eaten with them.  

32

Our stop in Rio Hondo gave us the chance to visit a museum filed with fossils of giant sloths, giant armadillos, mastedons & saber tooth tigers. ...all were found near here.  We also found where some of the clothes we donate to Goodwill end up...here.  I actually bought a shirt with a USA Goodwill tag...for 60 cents.  Just a little ways away, there is a fancy and expensive mall.  Our hotel is also very nice with topiary bushes in the shape of animals, with hundreds of monstrous hanging ferns which surround several pools that had cleverly designed slides in the shape of butterflies, snails, castles, spirals, etc.  Seating in the restruant for 100's with place settings elegantly set...and we are the only ones eating except for the many workers and only saw one other couple in the pool.  It felt like a ghost hotel...or a hollywood movie set.

31

The further we get from the tourist area, the harder it is to find something I want to eat.  I was glad to see corn flakes and milk on the menu...but it didn't say the milk would be hot!  Rog of course, loves the opportunity to try the new and unusual local cuisine with a satisfying smile on his face.  Lucky for me, I have been able to locate, with just a little detective work, a Coke Light or Coke Zero and I can always nibble on my peanuts or spead my peanut butter on something.  

30

After having a plush seat on a big bus for several hours, we got into a mini van for the next part of our trip and since we were the last in, Rog had to crouch standing on one leg while his butt was held into the van by the guy standing in the doorway (most of his body was outside the van & he held on to the roof)...I sat side saddle with my legs hanging out the open door.  Beats being squished in the back with no air & 3 or 4 others!

29

Walking the narrow mainstreet of Rio Dulce meant avoiding the many large busses, semis, and livestock trucks that barely missed pedestrians as they passed who were dodging in and out of the small stands that lined the streets.  We noticed one man who nonchalantly sat polishing someone´s shoes sitting just inches away from the giant wheels of the vehicles as they rolled past.  Rog said...that´s proof that an inch is as good as a mile.

28

At lunch today we got a local dish...which we didn´t know for sure what it really was when we ordered it....when a kid riding a bike delivered a Domino´s pizza to our cooks!!!  I asked if I could get a piece of pizza....the cooks shook their heads no...it was for them!    I am not sure where that pizza came from as the only chains we have seen since we left home is one Burger King and  one Pizza Hut and they were far from here!

27

Rio Dulce Farm Report:  the rich river basin here is being put to good use.  We passed miles of fields of pineapple, bananas, palm oil trees and sugar cane...and since ¨dulce¨means sugar, the river´s name is perfect.

26

So many women here still live as they have for many years:  cooking tortillas outside on home built, wood burning stoves and scrubbing their clothes on big stones in the river where pigs & sheep also wade.  Nursing in public is a given...even with toddlers who help themselves by pulling their Mom´s shirt down & helping get the breast out.  Most women here are modestly dessed with decorated, lacy loose tops over spagetti strap shirts.  I asked where I could buy one...and the lady laughed and said that they make them at home. 

25

We got up early and took a tuk tuk to the bus station to buy a ticket to Rio Dulce leaving at 10...all which were recommended by our hotel owner.  We sat in the bus office playing cards as the ticket guy came by to check on us often.  Around9:58, the ticket man came rushing in yelling ¨Vamanos!¨....let´s go.  He had us get into his car while another guy moved motorcycles out of the way....off we flew racing through town, getting yelled at by police and perplexed as usual.  About 10 minutes later, he stopped at a bus stop, then took our ticket and motioned for us to get on the approaching bus.  Why did he wait until the last minute?  Why did he have to drive us there in his own car?  Why did he give us tickets only to take them away before we got on the bus?  We will never know but it was a very comfortable ride, air conditioned & plush seats and it took us to our destination, Rio Dulce.  On the 3 hour drive, we passed many herds of cows & horses, some being rounded up by cowboys.  Fence post are straight branches stuck in the ground close together sprouting new growth or already growing into a tree.  Corn was planted on several hillsides so steep no tractor could have done it.  The cars we see are quite nice & clean.  Almost every home has one thing in common...clothes drying.  Anything horizontal is fair game to hang them on...even barbed wire fences.  Besides nicer & neater than Belize...we also noticed another big difference.  Few people were sitting around or lying in hammocks....they were working.  Rio Dulce is a safe port city as it is on a navigable lake flowing into a big river that leads into the Caribean Sea.  During a hurricane, it is considered the safest place for ships.  Many yachts are docked here and we have seen many people in town stocking up on supplies & enjoying time on the land.  It was HOT in town so we crammed into a mini van....they call them ¨collectivos¨...which is so appropriate since they keep collecting people and won´t move until they are completely full...atleast 16!  We headed out of town to a small village, San Felipe, in hopes of finding a hotel room.  Success!  With a cool pool too....and best of all, with a computer with no time limits....which was truly a God send as we had been waiting for news from Bekah about a recent xray.  We got her good news email just before we went to bed....and that made us sleep much better.  Day 2 in Rio Dolce, we caught a ride in a mini van along with 21 others, switched to another in town, which took us to our next adventure--just a 1 km walk at Finca Paraiso and we were at a roaring hot springs waterfall.  The pool under it was warm and sparkling clear.  Our kids will recall the glorious feeling you get from swimming in such an awesome spot!  Hot springs bubbled up in several spots down stream and we stood on the hot stones and soaked in the water for serveral hours.  A few people joined us and two of them followed a local boy & climbed the steep cliff and jumped about 12´into the pool below.  (Jake...can you imagine anyone doing such a crazy thing?)  I visited with a New Zealand lady while drying out.  She asked me how long I had been married...her response was ¨F....ing Crazy!  I have never met anyone I could be around that long!¨ I had never gotten that response before.   Finally, our hunger won out and we left reluctantly.  

24

We crossed into Guatemala and soon were riding in a minivan with 18 others.  The luggage was strapped on top.  We stopped often and a young boy would climb up the ladder built on to the side of the van and pass down some luggage...or we would pick up new passengers & the boy would strap on more luggage and we´´d move over a little more....if possible.  We were pleasantly surprised by how much cleaner the landscape is here...homes are mostly built with cement blocks with yards neatly grazed by a horse and sometimes sheep or pigs.  There are also large areas nearby grazed by cows.  We only hear Spanish now and the locals have lighter complexions and straight black hair...no more multi-braided hairdos.  Our first stop is Flores...an old city on an island...the same one we visited with our kids 12 years ago.  We walked to the center square where we had spent New Years Eve.  This quaint town is full of hotels and restaurants.  The hot sun made the lake very inviting and many were enjoying a cool dip.  Tuk tuks and motorcycles buzzed up and down the narrow stone streets.  Around 4 p.m.several ladies with their home prepared foods set up underneath a tent  by the lake right in front of our hotel window.  People swarmed about that area like bees around their hive until late at night.  Rog kept looking out the window wishing he was hungry again!  Our second day in Flores, we went to Park Ixpanpajul about 10 km away.  We hiked a 3 km trail which took us through the jungle and over several suspension bridges that were about 100 ft high and about 100 M long.  We didn´t see much wildlife but saw lots of flora & two beautiful orchids.  Later we climbed into a boat for a one hour tour (think Gilligan´´s Island....again)   of the lake and just like 12 years ago...a storm rolled in & there were no life jackets anywhere.  It started pouring down rain so our driver docked the boat at his own house which was on the other side of the lake.  We waited for the storm to pass and under a thatched roof where an altar had been built with hundreds of shells and used for setting up their Nativity scene at Christmas.  We practiced our Spanish as our driver practiced his English.  We learned the lake is 2M higher than usual due to all the rain during their dry season and that there is an unexcavated ruin a short distance from his home.  We played with some kids who had made a boat out of a coconut shell and were trying to get it to float down a small stream created by the downpour....another unexpected and unusual treat!  After about an hour, we climbed back into the boat and finished our tour.  

23

We came ¨home¨to the Tropicool Hotel in San Ignacio and soon met up with Paula & Emmanuel.  Paula has Dengue fever but insisted on us joining them for dinner.  She had arranged to have three of her women{s sewing group there and bring us the purses they had embroidered over the last two weeks while we were gone so that we can take them home to sell them.  I expected 4 or 5...but was utterly amazed as they had finished about 20 of them....and one more just as we were leaving.  I sure hope I can reward them with a large payment.  Paula´s younger sister mentioned that she made bracelets so I offered to sell them also.  She didn´t have any to sell and no money to make a lot.  I explained to her what a microloan was and loaned her $20 which I told her she should loan on to someone else once she has earned $20.  She was excited!  Paula & I took her hands clutching the $20 and said a prayer asking for the money to multiply and bring income to many in need in the future.  During our final hugs, Paula again whispered, "You bring us much hope."  Tomorrow we leave Belize.  Did we find lots to enjoy here?  You Better Belize It!   (that´t their motto)

22

Quite often we're in a spot where we can watch TV and though we are surrounded by locals, we are all watching USA news...we even hear about the weather in Michigan.  When in Michigan did I ever hear anything about Belize?  We have noticed this is true in many of the countries we have traveled.  No wonder they know so much about the USA...and we know so little about them.

21

We are back in San Ignacio and will meet up with Paula and Emmanuel tonight...sometime.  Our last couple days in Hopkins were slow, quiet & with hours of reading on the beach, listening to Garifuna drummers & travelling Argentinian musicians (who for 1 and 1/2 years have paid for their travels by performing in towns all over--nothing planned in advance--true troubadours!)  We also made delicious smoothies by freezing fresh pineapples, bananas & oranges & then adding a bit of cold water & putting it in the blender provided.  (we learned this from a local).  The pace here is s...l...o...w...almost everyone, even very small kids on bikes way too big for them, cruse at a very, very slow speed from place to place.  We wonder how they keep their balance going so slow on the rutted, rocky roads.  All the bikes are pedal and no hand brakes...and very old.  None of them look like they have even been washed.  Perhaps, like their buses, they are USA discarded ones also.  Imagine, if you took a wide angle shot of the homes on the gorgeous shoreline here...then cut it up into a jigsaw puzzle...you'd find that about every 30th piece would look like it did not fit in...29 would be run down old cabanas with yards littered with old frigs, stoves, useless boats and a trash pile 2 to 3' tall...then that 30th piece would be a gorgeous home/hotel with a well raked yard & beach.  Lucky for us, we spent 5 days on #30!!!

20

#20  (By Roger)
The local economy of Hopkins...this is a small shore town just south of Dangriga and it seems that many people here are doing okay. ..that is ...they eat, have decent clothing, send kids to school, even some paint their houses.  We have seen many people working various jobs:  security, waitress, bus drivers, bicycle rental & repair, banana delivery man, clerks, weavers, wood carvers, fishermen, librarians, teachers, house/hotel cleaners.  There are also many cooks...some in restaurants but many on the street preparing meatpies, conch fritters, buns, panades, pastries and even choc-coconut pies and then they send their kids around on their old bicycles carrying 5 gal pails filled with these items their mamas have prepared for them to sell.  It's good to see them helping their families.  We have also met children who immediately ask us for a shilling or dollar.  It is hard to say no to them as they are usually preschool age, cute and often appear to be needy...and beside a dollar is not much to us.  But that child will grow up and in a few years, I think, s/he will be asking for more than a dollar...and thinking why work if it isn't necessary?  It seems that a natural progression might turn that cute little kid into an adolescent to be savvy enough to know when and where to demand money from tourists...or others in their town.  I believe we,  tourist, need to encourage the kids who are helping their families and at the same time, discourage those who are begging.  

19

A pot of gold may be at the end of a rainbow...but a chocolate-coconut pie is at the end of a pot hole ridden alley in a ramshackle shack where Maggie lives.  It looked & smelled scrumptious...we bought the whole pie for $12.50...the pan (which we promised to return) was still hot.  We couldn't wait to get home and sink our teeth into it.  It was a bite of heaven!  We shared some with the lady who runs the hotel and a couple of the drummers.  Wish I could bring lots of them home to share with you!!!

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The Tobacco Caye dock filled with people that we'd met the last few days all wishing us well on the rest of our trip.  The ocean was calm so we seemed to glide on top as we headed back to Dangriga to catch the bus to Hopkins...a small village about an hour away...a diamond in the rough.  We had booked a room at the Garifuna Drum Center and found it freshly painted, well built, cleverly decorated with a frig, coffee pot, spacious hot shower, a real bed and a porch with a hammock....all right on the beach.,,all for just $55.  The hot sun quickly encouraged us to get in our suits and let the cool Caribbean Sea roll over us.  Bikes came with the room and so after a while we headed out to check out the town and find some lunch.  Though definitely still Belizean, this town has an extra dose of friendliness.  The tourist and locals seem to mingle easily.  After dark, the drumming started so we followed our ears.  With amazing speed they beat the drums...their hands a blur of movement.  We only planned to stay one night but have extended it to five.  When you find a piece of paradise, why rush away looking for another?  I should qualify this statement by what you must look beyond here:  piles of trash, deserted crumbling buildings & ones very similar but not deserted where chickens, dogs & children play in the dirt yards...but it's what you can take in that overrides this:  kids in their school uniforms walking to school or on rusty bikes often with a smaller child on the handlebars, the broad smiles & friendly greeting from the locals, the smell of fresh baked coconut bread, the multi colored hammocks where the cool wind rocks you gently, the vibrant green coconut trees, the glistening sand and of course, the warm inviting sea.  Need I saw more?  We found the local bakery, sucked down a pineapple smoothie, soaked up the sea, rode bikes up & down the sides streets and searched for Maggie's famous coconut-chocolate pie.  We were hot on the pie trail when we met two women walking on the road.  Rog asked them if they knew where Maggie's was...and one piped up..."I'm Maggie!"  Unfortunately all the pie was gone but she promised to make us one tomorrow.  Can't wait.  Again right after dark, the drumming started.  It was a group of young boys who also dancing the Punta.  We went back to our room after a bit and were serenaded to sleep by the sound of distant drumming.  

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Day 2 on this 5 acre island ...that brings back memories of the Gulligan's Island TV show.  We know most every one on the island now...both tourist and locals.  The morning sky was cloudy and hung them just  before it started to rain.  In intervals we read, visited with neighbors & staff, napped in hammocks, played cards, walked around the island & made careful & prolonged viewing of the osprey, pelicans, crows, herons, rays & fish swimming around the docks.  Even a coconut dropping was interesting.  After a couple showers, we re-wrung out clothes & hung them on our porch.  The day went by about as fast as the clothes dried.  Island time is easy to get use to.  Here meals are served family style and on days like today...we linger around the table with rich conversation.  Fellow travelers can tell such fascinating stories!  Day 3 brought sunshine so we were on open water and what is called The Garden.  The vibrant colors of the fish & reef was worthy of it's name.  A group of Vermont students snorkeled at night with headlamps and showed us their video of a green moray eel & a large octopus they'd spotted.  It was tempting but not convincing enough to make me go.  Princess, a 3 year old hung around me for a while so we wrote the ABC's in the sand & read a couple books I had.  She rewarded me dancing the Punta (she could shake every part of her little body!).  Day 4  Spent the first couple hours saying goodbye to Muriel & Judd and then getting to know our new neighbors...Jeff & Erica better.  We had talked to them a bit yesterday and today they said they thought it was such a good idea to do some volunteering while traveling that next year...they were going to do it.  We exchanged our emails & they want us to let them know more about Safe Haven...the orphanage we worked at in Thailand.  We canoed along the nearby reef and spotted sting rays, trunk fish, star fish, coral & many tiny fish through the sparkling clear water.  We watched guy cleaning conch & later his wife brought us some freshly made conch fritters. Our dinner last 2 hours as a couple from Belgium, a girl from Switzerland & her boyfriend from Hawaii and a couple from Canada shared many of our views of this world discussing all we have learned while traveling. ..not only from the countries we travel but also the many people we meet from all over the world.  Truly these conversations are one of the best parts of traveling!

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My Birthday!  FIrst thanks for all the emails wishing me a good one!!!  We found a great place that had cheese omelets, french fries & Coke Light for breakfast then hit the bank, internet cafe, bakery & a grocery store to stock up with Coke Light and then climbed into a boat headed for Tobacco Caye about 45 minutes out.  Ahhh! What a haven surrounded by turquoise water and a reef that is part of the second largest in the world.  By 2:30we were snorkeling seeing schools of various fish feeding on the reef.  Can't say it was the best we've seen...but no complaints.  We watched a glorious sunset and the dinner bell rang at 6...just like at camp.  We enjoyed the company of a couple from Oregon comparing travel experiences.  Drummers filled the night air with their rhythmic sounds late into the night. How is that for a birthday???

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We got on the bus and headed to the jungle stopping at the Hummingbird Guest House.  It turned out to be another unique experience.  A clearing had been cut in the middle of the jungle by a group of mostly Californians who lived there at various times for various amounts of time ...basically communal style.  They worked & ate together and made joint decisions on what to do with the property.  They had planted many trees and flowering bushes that all produced something edible and had gardens and chickens.  It was pretty basic living with shared outhouses & showers.  I am not sure what the attraction was.  We walked the land that was encircled by a clear, fast running creek.  We rode to the village with one couple but there seemed to be nothing happening there...or would be happening.  A bit farther up the road, what seemed to be a mirage was actually a real ice cream stand...they had Coke Light too...I got one of each!  The ice cream was made fresh daily by the Mechannites--they were Mennonites that used mechanical equipment.  Great fine!!! Unfortunately some nasty biting sand flies (we call no see-ums) found us and we itched lots.  Next a.m. we waited in what looked like the middle of no where for one & a half hours for the bus.  We felt like Steve Martin in The Jerk.  The bus finally did come and we headed for Dangariga passing by acres of orange trees that produce not the picture perfect ones we buy in the states...but rather greenish-blackish ones that taste delicious.  We got to Dangariga and found Ruthie's --our hotel.  Lonely Planet--our guide book...sure let us astray on this one!  A dump...but it seemed all the ones nearby were the same so we just bit our tongues, scratched our bites & made the best of it.  The beach we were on was covered with litter & the water was as muddy as the Mississippi.  We walked around town...everything was pretty run down.  We did enjoy going to the Garifuna museum.  We were the only ones there and the guide unlocked a gate to allow us in & relocked it as soon as we entered it.  We'd been told this town was unsafe...guess this was proof.  Our guide was of Garifuna descent and spoke from her heart as she explained each exhibit.  The Garifuna is a mix between the Black Caribs & slaves from a slave ship that shipwrecked on the island of St. Vincent.  Later the British deported them in chains to Honduras & some made it to this area.  They remain a people who hold fast to their traditions.

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As I reflect on our time helping the Omega Church, I am grateful for the time we spent with kids, Paula & Emmanuel.  But I also find myself thinking, we could have done so much more if only they had been more organized.  That's my Midwest USA, work ethics talking...that's not here.  Don't I always tell myself that I will let God be in charge, not me?  He let me know he was in charge as I hugged Paula and she whispered in my ear, "You inspire me and give me the courage to continue."  So that's enough for me.  Amen

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We visited the Belize Zoo.  In 1982 a lady came here to do a documentary about some injured animals in a rehab and when she found out there wasn't a zoo in Belize...she started this one.  It is unique as you feel like you are walking through the jungle with only wire fences & one strand of electric fence separating you from puma, jaguar, black leopard, ocelots, tapirs, howler & spider monkeys, harpy owls, peccaries, jabiru storks, coatimundi, jaguarundi, kinkajou, scarlet macaw and a variety of other animals.  Several other animals sneak in and freely join the ones behind fences ...sometimes on the same walk way we were on.  

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Our last day in San Ignacia and full a full one.  Our 9 a.m. ride arrived at 9:40 and after stopping to pick up kids a couple times, it dropped us at the bottom of the hill that leads to the leveled area called the Omega church.  We quickly got 45 kids singing Alleluia! adding rounds & speed each time.  Then we did a lesson on the two greatest commandments including games where you had to help your neighbor:  put on gloves, move a rope ring to the next person, identify a neighbor with eyes closed & a version of 7 Up.  We also read the bible story of the Good Samaritan and talked about ways each of them can be good Samaritans.  Food arrived & quickly about 200 garnaches were assembled and gobbled up.  We hitched a ride back to town and had Paula & Emmanuel join us for some peanuts, M & M's and lots of laughs as we shared stories.  After they left, we went out for a hamburger & hot wings while watching a NFL playoff game.  We ran into one of the girls we'd gotten to know a little & invited her & her Mom to our porch.  She speaks just a little English & reads none so I wasted no time and spent the next hour tutoring.  She was visibly pleased with her progress.  Me too.  Again we climbed into the truck, headed up the hill for another service.  A pastor who'd earlier spent 3 months here, preached.  Hugs all around ended the service.  So many kids wrapped their arms around us--how blessed and loved we felt.  They have so little yet they are so willing to share their love with us--who have so much.

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Here there are no traffic lights & very few stop signs but mucho speed bumps.  Why?  We are told the Belizians wouldn't obey the traffic signs.  Speed bumps cannot be ignored.

In Belize two weeks now and not a sign of any chain restaurant or store...Mc Donald's somehow over looked this country.  

A sampling of Creole language (which is a shorten English dialect):
Whachauta = What are you up to?
Wheredego = Where are you going?
Dis da fi wi chiken =  ????  you guess is as good as ours!

We are told education is not free here--and since we see so many church schools here...we're guessing that's the best route for most kids.

Our ride yesterday was a van (need I say OLD)--us and 16 others.  Our kids will relate to this as they experienced the same while in Guatemala ten years ago.  Paula told us that once they had 60 people in one large van.  I believe it!

Public transportation is quite easy to use.  Busses go through towns about every half hour.  Al the busses are old USA school busses.  Some of the signs we remembered as students are still on them!  Our driver today was talking on his cell phone, drinking a Coke and snacking on chips--and not wearing his seatbelt.  Safety is not a word you hear here.  

Here's ways we've eaten tortillas:  empanadas, tacos, nacho chips, salbutes, enchiladas, fry jacks, burritos, quesadilla, garnache and with peanut butter!